Obama correct about chemical weapons

September 22, 2013

We hear the most absurd criticisms hurled at the president, aimed at belittling his recent chemical weapons foreign policy endeavor.''His foreign policy is a muddle. He leads from behind. He's indecisive and he flip flops. He's a community organizer and President Vladimir Putin made it all happen.''

When the sarin gas atrocity happened on Aug. 21, there should have been an outcry from the international community. What happened instead? It got quiet in that part of the world. Russia and China knew what was going on and chose to do nothing.

Is the flip flopper the only world leader who is willing to defend international law? The others knew about the Chemical Weapons Convention that took place in Geneva in 1997 in which 189 nations agreed to prohibit the use of chemical and biological weapons.

Had the flip flopper chosen to do nothing, the weight of the House of Representatives would have collapsed around his shoulders. He did something and he still faces hostile criticism. You've heard the old adage "You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't."

In reference to the Sept. 12, 13 and 14 talks in Geneva, Joe Scarborough of MSNBC painted the scenario that the president never knew what he was doing. Sean Hannity of Fox News made this comment, "The administration is giving up on its plan to strike Syria because the Russians have everything under control." These learned talk show hosts must have known that Sergey Lavrov was signing documents in order to protect Russia's economic interest and naval fleet stationed in the Syrian port off the coast of Tartus. Who really was in control?

However you chose to interpret the events leading up to the chemical weapons agreement reached in Geneva, one thing remains indisputable. It's a milestone accomplishment initiated by the president. Even Dan Rather characterized the agreement as a substantial achievement. It levels the playing field, and nations will think twice before using gas in an act of war. The credit goes to the president. The extreme right and the influence of the lobbyists got the playing field all fogged up.

When the fog clears, the truth will unveil. President Barack Obama stands head and shoulders tall over all of his opponents.